Tucker and folder mechanism for reckptacle-making machines



June 5, 1928.

c. P. WELLMAN TUCKER AND FOLDER MECHANISM FOR RECEPIACLE MAKING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1' ANNN June 5. 1928.

c. P. WELLMAN TUCKER AND FOLDER MECHANISM FOR RECEPTACLE mine MACHINES 4 Sh ee LS -Sheet 2 Fil ed May 1'7, 1926 RN ura Nw June 5, 1928.

C. P. WELLMAN TUCKER AND FOLDER MECHANISM FOR RECEPTACLE'MAKING MACHINES Filed'May'l'l, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3,

June 5, 1928. 7 1, 72,552

C. P. WELLMAN TUCKER AND FOLDER MECHANISM FORRECEPTACLE MAKING MACHINES Filed May 17, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 W 61 W 70' i 16) i I 168 10v 5' L- I X410 5 1r? 4 i" I I i I I g 1 |-::::!|l||llll I 160 i d K v I? 0 190 i l fi v "1a i E i i I l Patented June 5, 1928.

UNlTED STATES PATENT ounce.

CHARLES P. WELLMAN, 01 HEDFOBD, MASSACHUSETTS. v

Application filed Kay 17,

This invention relates to means for performing folding and other operations on the material of a receptacle or package, such as a bag, a lining bag for a carton or other receptacle, a wrapped package, or the like.

One object of the invention is toprovide mechanism for performing folding operations in respect to at least one face of a support, mandrel or former; and in respect to paper, carton stock, box-board or the like eing made up into a wrappin or receptacle about the support or former, tile folding operations being performed in sucha way as to impose no necessity for complexity of motion between folding instruments and mandrel, or for a stoppage of relative motion between the folding device and the forming product, or for reduction of speed of travel of the'mandrel or former, when this.

is movable. The invention provides mechanismcapable of dealing with relatively weak, easily broken or torn, or stiff, or intractable material in such a way as to perform folding operations Without detriment to the material being' operated upon. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding mechanism for the indicated use capable of cooperating with sealing means-operating immediately following the folder mechanism in the order of operations performed upon the material in such a way as to enable the sealing mechanism effectively to cooperate in the manufacture of containers of the classes mentioned: still another object is to so organize a folding mechanism of the kind mentioned above as to provide for relative, simplicity, sturdy constructi0n,'ease of adjustment, and capability of adaptation to use with formers or mandrels or in respect to receptacles or containers of many different types without substantial change, and therefore capable of cooperative use'in different kinds of receptacle making machines, and especially in such machines as are organized to perforni' their op erations on a succession, ofv the articles produced in rapid succession, the operations being in progress on s'eteral of the articles of the product simultaneously, such operations being completed in turn in respect to each article. In a preferred form, tue invention constitutes a high-speed sheet-material rc= ceptacle or package-making device having receptacle or'pac'kage supporting and propelling means and a series of assemblies of folder means independent of but cooperat- 1923. Serial No. 1%,488.

ing with the supporting 'and propelling means, and adapted to move severall in the same direction and at the same spee as the support ng means, the folder means 0 crating while m'this conjunction with t 0 receptacle or package-supporting means to upon rapid production of the formed recep-,

tacles.

I shall explain the invention, for an example, in connection with its use in such a machine as the receptacle-makingmachine forming the subject of my application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial No. 309,,- 115, filed July 7, 1919, (patented May 18, 1926, No. 1,584,964), in which the devices to be described are ada ted to replace mechanisms best shown in *igs. 3, 8 and 13, or in Fig. 4 0i the drawings of said application; and'adapted in the situation illustrated in the said application by said figures to tuck. fold and seal the bottom closure of a lining bag about which the machine of my saidapplication constructs and closes a box or carton to protect, confine and support merchandisc to be packaged in the bag; 'or to tuck,

porting and circulating in a closed path,-

preferably lying between vertical planes, a number of evenly-spaced mandrels or formers having an oblong cross-section; means for applying and wrapping about and sealing overlaps of a blank of bag material surrounding all faces of the mandrel except the end faces; the means above mentioned of said Figs. 3, 8 and 13, for tucking in against the end face of the mandrel unbroken folds of a projecting end of the tube or wrapping of the bag material and for completing and pressing these folds, in primary tucks from the narrower faces; in a secondary triangular flap from the fel lowing edge of the end face and in an overlapping triangular flap from the leading edge of the face; and means (shown ,as a heating and pressing device) for sealing these end foldsin their finished position, one sealing agent being a fusible cementitious substance carried by the material of tucking and folding means operating in a similar way on the end flaps of the box being made on and about the mandrel-supported ba 'l he present improvement is illustrated,'by way of example only,'in connection with the machine of my said application for patent as in use for completing the lining bag only, in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is an elevation showing a plate having thereon stationary cam tracks forming a part of the machine and adapted to cooperate with a support for a mandrel to turn or orient the mandrel at its travel in a circulatory path, and also showing an auxiliary frame member and its relation to this plate;

Fig. 2 is a lace elevation of the left-hand end of the improved folding mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a plan of a detail of the machine showing the folding mechanism and its relation to the sealing mechanism;

Fig. t is a section partly in elevation on the line H of Fig. 3;

Fi 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 6, illustrating a diderent position of the parts;

Fig. 6 is a plan on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is a detail elevation illustrating the intermediate presser and the sealer.

Referring to Figs. 1, 3 and 6, transverse frame members 1 support a vertical plate 3 provided on one face with cam grooves a; and b, one deeper than the other, each providing a positioning and operating track for one of the antiefriction rolls 16, 17 on crank arms 14, 15, Figs. 3 and d, fixed at right angles to each other on horizontal shafts 8 of mandrels 5, the shafts 8 each having a bearing in a carrier block 12 constituting one link of an endless main drive chain 57, the blocks 12 being adapted to guideways on the edge of a supporting, bearmg and frame plate 4 lying generally parallel to the plate 3. The chain 57 is preferably constantly driven by one or more sprockets on transverse shafts at corners of the plate 4, all as shown in my said application for patent.

The grooves a and bin plate 3 hear such relation to the path of travel of the main drive chain 5'2 as to maintain the rolls 16, l7"and shaft 8 stationary in a rotary sense,

- except when the mandrel 5 is desired to be turned on its horizontal axis, at which point the grooves a and b may deviate from parallel to the path of travel, and the plate 3.may be cut away as shown at c, d, Fig- 1, to re-- lease one or the other of rolls 1.6 during action on the other by a cam part of the other groovmter examp e, as shown at 38 or 41.

Circulation of the mandrels5 by chain 57' is in the direction of the arrows on Fig. 1, as shown, and agencies, not shown, are

flaps and prescored fold lines.

provided at the left end of this path as viewed in said figure for feeding, applying, tucking in overlapped relation, and sealing the overlaps in a lining blank L in such a way as to form a tube projecting beyond the end face of the mandrel 5, as

shown best in Fig. 4; all as explained in my said application.

At the right side of the path of circulation, as shown in Fig. 1, the completed blank L having been folded and sealed into a bag "or wrapping enclosing the mandrel, a device,

not shown, 18 provided for ap lying and for shown, operating upon a lining blank L for the purpose of providing from unbroken material rectangular primary bottom folds and inturned triangular flap folds of the projecting end of the tube of paper or the like carried by the mandrel, which end and flap folds can be completed and sealed to each other by 0 erations performed in or near the plane 0? the end face of the mandrel 5. The devices described in this connection in my said application for patent are desirably used, for their best function, with certain types only of bag or lining material, and one function of the devices about to be described is to remove any agency of the general machine for making receptacles from any restriction as to the nature of the material operated upon and, within limits.

imposed by the remainder of the machine, upon the speed of the roduction, by the provision of a closure-malring means-for the bag of more general application and free from any mode of operation impracticable with any kind of material adapted for the general purpose of forming a bag. The mechanism about to be described is of such general application as to enable it to be used to operate not only upon bag or lining materail, but also upon relatively stifi' material adapted to be folded with the aid of out It will be understood therefore that the mechanism about to be described is capable of being substituted without substantial change in the 'machines of my said application also for the devices shown at the bottom part of Fig. 4 and the bottom part of Fig. 5 of the drawings in that application, which devices as therein described and claimed, accomplish the function of turning in and sealing cut and prescored flaps of the box blank C constituting the outer wall of the receptacle made by the machine as a whole.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and a particularly, I prefer to provide in cooperative relation with the mandrels 5 and the chain 57 circulating these mandrels and with the cam devices for orienting the mandrels on their longitudinal axes, a series of assemblies of apparatus which constitute a folder mechanism, said folder mechanism having therein means for turning in end folds on opposite sides of a mandrel and positioning these folds. while a flap of at least one of the other projections of the material beyond the mandrel is folded over upon them; and preferably for holding the three folds so made in place while the fourth or completing fold is turned over upon them.

Each of the folder assemblies, in the preferred form shown, holds the material against an end face of a mandrel without changing its relation to the mandrel during substantial travel ofthe mandrel and the folder assembly at the same rate through a sufficient distance to bring the mandrel and the receptacle being formed upon it under the influence of means adapted to complete by a fourth fold the mere arrangement of the end closure being formed in and of the material. As in my said application, this folded arrangement may be completed by sealing during further travel ofthe mandrel. Sealing may be by pressure against a heater 155 (Figs. 3 and 7) which may have. for example, an electrically-heated beveled-end smooth surface held by springs 156 in pressing contact with the end face of the passing mandrels.

In the preferred embodiment the folding assemblies Figs. 3, 4 and 6, may be carried upon carrier blocks 145 providing long tudinal guide lugs 146, 146. Fig. 4,1'ecessed at.

147 to provide lugs 148, Fig. 6, bored to serve as one'link in an auxiliary endless chain 150 adapted to travel in any convenient path having one lateral run in proximity to and parallel to the-path of travel of the end face of the mandrel 5, and adapted and arranged to be driven at the same speed as the chain 157.

In the form shown in the drawings. the machine frame is provided with an auxiliary member 2, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, made as an integral or built-up casting adapted to bridge two or more of the frames 1 and having ITIOIllllGTS 2. 2, to rest upon the transverse struts of these frames; and provided with a vertical web 2. a horizontal shelf or plate 2, preferably having a machined upper surface; and suitably carrying bearing lugs 2 at its respective ends, having vertical bores to receive short "ertical shafts 151. 152. for sprockets 153. 154. respectively, adapted to carry the chain 150 and circulate the folder assemblies carried by the blocks 145 to the effect mentioned.

.As shown, the sprocket 154 is a drivingsprocket, having fast upon it a disk 153 having sector-shaped slots 153 receiving ried by each block 145.

screws 153 threaded into the sprocket wheel 153 to enable a rotar timing adjustment of the sprocket, wheel in respect to the shaft 151, for aligning each mandrel with its folder assembly on a block 145, the blocks 145 being spaced at the same distances as the mandrels. The lower end of the shaft 151 carries a bevel gear 158 meshing with a -The shaft 152 forthe idler sprocket 154 for the chain 150 is preferably mounted in a squared recess in frame member 2 on a slide block 148 adapted for motion longitudinally of the machine by the screw 149, to serve as an adjustment to take up wear in the chain 150.v

The folder assemblies are suflicient in number and spaced at appropriate distances to preserve a relatively constant relation to the faces of the mandrels 5 during progress in operative relation to these mandrels from left to right, as viewed in Fig. 3. The devices carried by the blocks 145 are thus adapted to be sup orte'd in position and operated by relative y stationary parts rigidly supported in relation to the remainder of the machine; for example, by mounting them on the frame 2 in suitable relation to the respective paths of travel of the mandrels-5 and blocks 145.

Referring to Figs. 2, '3, 4 and 5, a prek ferred way of supporting the blocks 145 is to cause their slide lugs 146 on theioperat-ive run of chain 150 to engage in a straight cam, shown as a face cam 163, adju'stably attached to a lug 165 by bolts 164 and the lock nuts 166.

v The. cam 162 is relied upon to work the primary end fold tuckers, and the cam 163 is relied u on to work the third or triangularflap fol er of the system of instruments car- A preferred form of these instruments is as follows: Referring particularly to Figs.

' o n-ended channel in a member 160 adjust- 2, 5 and 6, each block 145 may be cut awa as desired for lightness, and to provide gi channels on inner and outer faces respectively for a vertical slide 17 5 on the exterior face of the block, and for a vertical slide 176 on the interior face of the block in relation 'to its attachment to chain 150. Between the ib channels the block 145 may be verticallyored at 177. This bore may house a spring 178 taking over a pin 179 in the slide 176, and so be adapted to hold said slide in its upper position unless forcibly depressed.

Preferably the front face of the block 145 is faced oil, Figs. 2 ancl6, to provide a bear ingseat for the pivot bearin bosses of bent tucker levers 180 having at t ieir lower ends thin, fiat, curved-edged blades 181 with straight upper edges 181, Fig. 5, and symmetrical in respectto each other and preferably asto the vertical plane of the center line of the blocks 145. Theupper ends of the short arms of the tucker levers 180 above the pivot screws 182, by which the levers are respectively mounted on theblocks 145, carr anti-friction rolls 183 adapted to coact wit the faces of a wedge-cam 184 having oifset cam faces and fast on the slide 17 5. upper ends of the levers 180 and the antifriction rolls 183 are respectively held against the faces of the cam 184 by tension springs 185 between pins on the levers and ins 186 projecting from laterally spaced lhgs on the block 145, The effect of these arrangements is normally to hold the tucker blades 181 wide open in the position shown in Fig. 2 by the efiect of the narrow parallel-sided part of wedge cam 184 and springs 185. But when the slide 175 is depressed, the cam' face on the cam 185 leading in the direction of motion of chains 57 and 150 first encounters a roll 183 and movesthe leading blade 181 toward and nearly to the center 'line of the blocks 145, and shortly thereafter begins the motion of the other blade 181 toward the same line, Fig. 5. The centerline of the blocks 145 is coincident or nearly coincident with the axial line of the shaft 8 nel member 162, of which the slope 162 is operative on successive anti-friction rolls 188 to force the slides 17 5 and'the cams 184- downwardly to close in tovtheir plane of symmetry first the leading and then the following tucker blades 181 in respect to the ends of the material projecting beyond the The front faces of the mandrels 5, and thus to result in the formation of the rimary intucks f f, Fig. 5 of this material. It will be observed that the blades 181' sweep the material of the primary in-tucks f and f laid down upon them.

The operation is the same when the blank on the mandrel 5 is provided with cut-flaps.

The slide 175 'is lifted when the blades 181 are to be withdrawn by the cam slope 162, Fig. 2, and is retained in this position by rolls 183 and springs 185 acting against wedge cam 184. It is preferred to make the first folds f, f by the blades 181 in respect to the narrower edges of the face of" the mandrel, if it shall happen, as shown, that the mandrel'de-fines a receptacle having an oblong transverse section. In the machine of my said application, the mandrels were so oriented, as shown herein at the left of Fig. 2, as to approach that point in the desired operation for folding the end folds of the bag with one of the longer edges of the end face of the mandrel leading. In order to turn the mandrel so as to have one of the shorter faces leading, for cooperation with the blades 181, it is preferred to cut away the plate member 3 at c, Fig. 1, and to provide the cam section of the deeper groove 1) shown at 43 for the purpose of acting upon the anti-friction rolls 17 of the mandrel supports to turn the mandrels into the position shown at :11 Fig. 2. When a mandrel and its cooperating folder assembly reach the position indicated by the slo e 162" of the cam channel 162, the tucker lades 181 are actuated as mentioned above, and thereafter for a considerable distance of travel of the mandrels and folding assemblies the straight portion 162 of the cam member 162 holds the parts in the attained position.

During this maintenance of relative position of the tucker blades 181 and the material bcing opera-ted upon and the mandrel 5, the folder blade 190, Figs. 2, 4 and 5, preferably constructed, see Fig. 4, as a forwardly and downwardly bent thin plate attached to the slide 176, for example by the screws 191, is provided to be actuated to turn the third fold f corresponding to one of the longer edges at the end face of the mandrel 5 down over the tucked-in material of the inturns at f and f and over the outer faces of the blades 181, then held,

Fig. 5, by the inwardly positioned tucker blades 181. Said third fold f is thus formed by the downward motion of the slide '176 and folder blade 190, and this occurs during the relatively stationary position of the remaining parts during travel of the actuating roller 188 forv slide 175 in the straight portion 162 of the cam 162. For a purpose presently to be mentioned the plate 190 is preferably offset from the center line of the folder assembly on the following side of its direction of motion, and terminates at a rounded portion 192, preferably concentric, at the attained position of the folder blade 190 at the bottom of its stroke,

with the axis of the mandrel 5.

In order to operate the slide 176 and folder blade 190 the slide 176 is provided with anti-friction roller 193 which comes into contact with the cam slope at the lefthand end, Fig. 2, of the cam 163, thus cansing the plate 190 to be depressed with slide 176 to the positiorr shown" at y. Longitudinal adjustment of the cam 163 times this operation effectively. Spring 178 lifts slide 176 to its normal position after passage of 7 without disturbing three the cam 163 and preferably after the fourth folder 7 shall have acted to fold*the fourth or exterior fold-flap against the in-tucked folds supported by blade 190, which is removed upwardly by its spring 176 after the fourth fold has begun to be formed.

Referring now to Fig. 3, actuation of the folder blades, it will be observed, occurs after to separated blades have approached and entered in respect to the leading and following faces of the mandrel by the motion of the folder assemblies around the lefthand end of the chain 150.

The mechanism so far described by its operations above mentioned has folded in three sides of the material projecting beyond the end face of the mandrel, and I prefer to rely for folding in the fourth side upon the proper motion of the mandrel and material in respect to a fixed fold guide attached to the general frame of themachine in any convenient manner. In order to do this the fourth fold, which projects from the bottom face of the mandrel when in the position as, is arranged again to become the leading face, and for this purpose the mandrel is again rotated in a direction opposite to the rior rotation for the beginning of the folding operation, through 90.

For this purpose, the groove}; in the plate 3 maybe cut away at 9, Fig. 1, and the groove 0 may be deviated to present the cam slope .44, which acts upon the successive anti-friction rolls 16, Fig. 4, to turn the shaft 8 and the mandrel. 5 through 60, so that the face of the mandrel from which the fourth fold f, Fig. 5, now projects leads. This turning movement is readily permitted the assemblage of the reviously formed folds by the described construction of the folder blade 190, the motions being as indicated at the point 3 in Fig. 2, a turning motion of the mandrel and in-folds on its end face about a center .near the lower right-hand corner of the polished blade190 at the center of are 192.

trated in Figs. 3 and 7, showingea A preferred arrangement for forming the fourth fold f and holding the folds in position preparatory to sealing them is illuspolished cam-edged plate 7, which may cut away at 6 to permit passage of the blades 181 around the right-hand end of the chain 150, the following portion 7' of the cut-away opening in the folding uide 7 havin an ed e bent out of line, as shown. The fodded end of the material on the mandrel is thus held in contact with the plate 7 until the proper motion of the mandrels brings the folded ends against heater 155, which may be relied upon to seal the seam by fusion of the waxy or resinous material usually carried by. material of the ba L; but in case, as may be resorted to, the blanks L are pasted or glued, the heater 155 may still be relied upon to set the sealed seams, although the cold plate 7 might be relied upon alone for this purpose. Following the heater 155 any suitable cooling and pressuremaintaining cam-edged plate200 may hold the parts in position until the sealed seam is set. The folded material has obviously been constantly held in folded relation after formation of each of the folds following the primary in-tucks over a support edge of the previously acting folder blade or blades, and

by transfer from the folder blades respec tiv'ely on the traveling blocks 145 to the stationary fourth folder 6, 7, and thence to-a sealing presser. The operations therefore result in tight and well-placed folds of satisfactory uniformity from article to article made.

It will be observed that the folding blades 181 and-190 are so constructed and mounted as to have a. degree of resilience in directions toward and away from. the end face of the mandrel 5. Capacity to yield in this sense avoids damage caused by variation of the material worked upon, and permits use of different materials without special adjustment of the parts.

The operation of the parts having been described in connection with their construction, adaptations of the device to use with other materials and'other supports, mandrels or devices for performing any usual 'or desired preceding or following operation on material being formed into containers will be obvious to those to whom this specification is directed.

What I claim is: 1. In a mechanism for folding sheet material blanks to make a receptacle, an assembly of folder means movable in a closed path, means for moving said assembly in said path, a support for material for a receptacle traveling in a path in con unction with a part of said closed path, and means to actuate the folder means to operate upon' tions at anangle to each other to fold the material over said support in overlapping folds.

2. Folder mechanism substantially as described having therein in combination a receptacle material support and a folder assembly, and means to move said support and assembly respectively in paths in planes at an angle to each other and at like speeds and in operative conjunction, and means for causing the folder means in said assembly severally to operate on the material While in said conjunction,

3. In a receptacle making machine, an assembly of folder means adapted to fold a plurality of the sides of a tube of sheet material extending from the end of a movable internal support while in transit, having therein means to move the support and the assembly of folder means in the same direction at the same speed, and in Operative proximity, and devices for severally operating the folding means during maintenance of these relations.

4. Folder mechanism substantially as described having in combination a series of traveling folder assemblies, a series of iiiternal supports for material to be operated upon traveling respectively in a path appreaching the path of said assemblies at places in cooperative relation to each of said folder assemblies and receding from the path of said assemblies, and meansfor operating parts of said folder assemblies severally to fold the material in predetermined relation to said supports durin conjunction of said supports and said assem lies. 5. Folder mechanism substantially as described having in combination a series of folder assemblies traveling in a predetermined path, a series of supports for material to be operated upon traveling in another path and respectively .into cooperative relation to each of said folder assemblies, and means for operating parts of said folder assemblies at successive parts of'their path of travel to fold the material in predetermined relation to said supports during conjunction of said supports and said assemblies, Y

6. Folder mechanism substantially as described having in combination a series of traveling folder assemblies, a series of sup ports for material to be operated upon traveling respectively in cooperative relation to each of. said folder assemblies. means to cause said series respectively to travel in different paths having adjacent parallel runs. and means for operating parts of said folder assemblies severally to fold the material in predetermined relation to said supports during conjunction of said. supports and said assemblies.

7. Folder mechanism substantially as described having in combination a series of traveling folder assemblies, a series of supports for material to be operated upon traveling respectively in cooperative relation to each of said folder assemblies, .means to cause said series respectively to travel in different planes at an angle to each other in paths respectively having adjacent paral- 'lel runs, and means for operating the parts of said folder assemblies severally to fold the material in predetermined relation to said supports during conjunction of said supports and said assemblies.

8. The combination with a series of mandrels and means for moving said mandrels successively in a predetermined path in spaced relation, means for causing the man drels to carry a blank of material in a ition wherein a part of the material projects erating said instrumentali'ties of the folder,

assemblies successively during their said motions.

9. In a folder mechanism adapted to operate in relation to material to be folded supported on traveling supports moving in suc-. cession past said folder mechanism, a series of carriers for folderassemblies, and means for moving said carriers and assemblies par-v allel to and in conjunction with the path of said supports during a folding operation, the combination with stationary cam means adapted to operate instruments of said folder assemblies successively at their passage ofv parts of the paths of motion of said supports and carriers respectively. I

10. In a folder mechanism the combination'of a carrier for a folder assembly with folding means mounted for relative motion in respect to said earner, means for moving the carrier, means independent of said carr1er for supporting material to be worked upon by the folder assembly in operative relation to said assembly during motion of said carrier, and means fixed in relation to said motion for operating. the folding means carried by said carrier.

11. In a folder mechanism the combination of a carrierfor'a folder assembly with folding means severally mounted for relative motion from and toward a plane of symmetry in respect to said carrier, means for moving the carrier in an endless pathin the plane, means moving in a path in another plane for supporting material to be worked upon by the. folder assembly in operative relation to said carrier throughout a part of its path, andmeans fixed n re at on to t tion of said carrier in a part of its path,

and 'means fixed in relation to said motion for successively moving said several folding means carried by said carrier toward said plane of symmetry during motion in said part of its path. I 13. In a folder assembly, the combination of a carrier block,'movable mountings on said blocks carrying blades for pnmary tucking, and a blade movably mounted on said block for forming a third fold in respect to the projecting end of a blank of material held by a support in constant relation during folding to the locus-0f motion of said blades, and operating connections on said block for severally operating the third folder blade and said tucking blades.

14. In a folder assembly, the combination of a plurality of carrier blocks, movable mountings on each ofsaid blocks carrying blades for primary tucking, and a blade movably mounted on said blocks for forming a third fold in respect to-the projecting end of a blank of material held by. each of a series of traveling supports in constant relation during operation to the locus of motion of said blades, mcans'for causing said blocks and their attachments to circulate in spaced relation, and operating connections on said blocks for severally operating the third folder blade and said tucking blades.

15. In a folder assembly,jthe combination of a carrier block, movable mountings on said block carrying blades for primary tucking, and a blade movably mounted on said 1 block for forming a third fold in respect to blade and said tucking blades, and means the projecting end of a blank of material held by a support in constant relation during operation to the-locus ofmotion of said blades, and operating connections on said block for severally operating the third folder for causing the carrier block and its attachments to move into and out of cooperative.

relation with said supports and the material carried thereby. 4 p

16. In a machine for making receptacles having a series of, traveling mandrels on which sheet material-is wra ped and folded to form' the receptacles, fol ing means comprising an auxiliary series of operative folding assemblies and an endless chain carrying said folding assemblies,,whereby said assem-' blies are moved into cooperative relation "pendent of said block.

with and travel in unison with the traveling mandrels, and are moved out of cooperative relation with the mandrels after completion of their folding function. i

17. In a machine for making receptacles having a series of traveling mandrels on which sheet material is wrapped and folded to form the receptacles, cooperating series of folding means severally moving in unison with the mandrels in a closed path having one portion parallel with and adjacent to the path of the mandrels, and another portween said block and actuator devices inde- 19; "In. a machine for making receptacles in combination with a support carrying a blank of the material, the combination with said support of a carrier block having thereon mountings for supporting blades severally movable toward a common center, op-

erative connections for. said mountings actuable upon relative motion between said block and actuator devices independent of saidblock, and means for moving said support and said carrier block in cooperative relation past said actuator devices.

20. In a machine having a support for sheet material to be operated upon to form a folded closure, the combination'with said support of aseries of folder blades adapted to be moved in succession in respect to said support toward a common center, said blades being resiliently yielding toward and away from said support.

21. In a machine having a support for sheet material to be operated upon to form a folded closure, the combination with said support of a carrier for a series of folder blades adaptedto be moved in respect to said support toward a common center, and operating means for said blades mounted on said carrier, said 0 crating means and blades being resiliently y elding toward-and away from said support.

22. In a machine having a support for sheet material to be operated upon to form a folded closure, the combination with said means for withdrawing said a folded closure, the combination with said support of a series of folder blades adapted to be moved in respect to said support toward a common center with means for moving said blades successively in order toward said center, one of the blades first moved having an edge adapted when at one phase of its motion to position an intucked fold to be turned over said edge by a subsequent operation, and means for holding said blade in said position during turning of a fold over said edge.

24. In a machine having a support for sheet material to be operated upon to form a folded closure, the combination with said support of a series of folder blades adapted to be moved in respectto said support toward a common center with means for moving said blades successively in order toward said center, one of the blades first moved having an edge adapted when at one phase of its motion to position an intuckcd fold to be turned over said edge by a subsequent operation, means fo'r holding said blade in said position, and means acting during maintenance of said position to actuate another of said blades to turn a fold over said ed e.

55. In a machine having a support for sheet material to be operated upon to form a folded closure, the combination with said supportof a series of folder blades adapted to be moved in respect to said support toward a common center with means formoving said blades successively in order toward said center, the last blade to act having an edge adapted to position an intucke d fold, means for retaining said last blade 1n position during motion of said material support and said blades into operative relation with .a stationary fourth-flap folder, and

ast blade.

26. In a vmachine having a support for sheet. material to be operated upon to form a folded closure, in combination, a folder assembly havin therein folding blades severally movable in order to tuck in and fold over closure flaps in relation to said support, means to move said blades for this purpose, meansto rotate said support-and the forming material while in contact with the last of said blades to act, and means for moving said support, the material and said blade against a relatively stationary folding guide to fold a last closure flap over said last-acting blade.

27. In a machine having a support for sheet material to be operated upon to form afolded closure, in combination, a folder assembly having therein folding blades severally movable in order to tuck in and fold over closure flaps in relation to said support, said tucking blades being adapted to move adjacent to the end face .of said support toward an edge of said support defining the position of the third fold of the closure, and means to move said tucking blades accordingly.

28. In a machine having a support for sheet material to be operated upon to form. a folded closure, in combination, a folder assembly having therein folding blades severally movable in order to tuck in and fold over closure flaps in relation to said support, said tucking blades being adapted to move toward an edge of the support defining the position of the third fold of the closure, means to move said blades, and means for retaining said tucking blades in position at the end of their motion during operation of a third blade to form said third fold over edges of said tucking blades.

29. In a folder assembly, the combination of a carrier block having a slideway therein, an actuating slide in said way, tucker levers pivoted on said carrier block between their ends, tucker blades on the ends of said levers, and a cam on said slide for acting on the other ends of said levers one after the other on motion of said slide.

30. Folder mechanism having in combination a series of folder assemblies traveling in a predetermined path, a series of supports for material to be operated upon traveling in another path, and means for operating said folder assemblies upon the material carried by said supports while said assemblies and said supports are traveling in their respective paths at the same rate.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this fifteenth day of May, 1926.

GHARLES P. WELLMAN. 

